Hy-Vee Homebrew Contest

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:50 pm

First off, I am just posting the information. I am not entering and think this is a crappy contest. That being said, enter if you like and see if you can win the undisclosed amount of cash and "bragging rights". Here are some highlights plus the email from Hy-Vee

-$20 entry fee
-Must provide a case of bottles (yes, a case)
-Entries due by July 27th (no shit, not a misprint)
-Only 20 entries accepted
-Must pay an additional $10 admission fee if you want to attend public tasting event
-Takes place at Zeppplin's, they provide some appetizers
-Winner gets undisclosed amount of cash and prizes
-No categories, no score sheets, no BJCP, just a best-in-show winner
-Winner crowned as "Cedar Rapids premiere home brewer" (really?)
-they claim an impressive judges panel, unless they contacted our president, I'll assume now real beer judges or BJCP folks, just restaurant owners that likely know nothing about beer from what I see at local establishments
-The contest is not until October 8th, yes entries due over 10 weeks earlier in July

Sorry, I can't make this shit up. Here is the email and I added their attachments. I am considering giving them 24 bottles of pee and they would probably serve it to the public. Hell, might even win. Damn I am cranky today. I am sure I am overreacting. Good luck to those shooting to be CR's premier homebrewer!

Good Afternoon, Hy-Vee Shoppers!

Your Blairs Ferry Road Hy-Vee Drugstore is proud to announce our 1st annual Home Brewer’s competition: ‘Brew-tality’! Up to 20 area brewers who think they have what it takes will go head to head (yes, that is a beer pun) in a brew-tal battle to the finish, with one winner crowned as Cedar Rapids premiere home brewer, taking home the grand prize, including cash, beer, and bragging rights!!! We’ve secured an impressive judges panel to see how you measure up against popular micro-breweries and big time commercial brewers! See the attachment for full rules and regulations as well as registration forms. Contest will be held Saturday, October 8th at Zeppelin’s Restaurant in Cedar Rapids, and will be open to the public. Public admission fee will be just $10 to attend this fun, interactive event, and includes not only a sample of beer from each home brewer, but also appetizers provided by Zeppelin’s!! Save the date!!! Tickets and reservations to attend will be available starting in September at Your Blairs Ferry Road Hy-Vee Drugstore and Zeppelin’s. More info to follow!!

Brewer’s: This is a ‘Best in Show’ competition. Brew what you brew best. Any class, any style. Just bring your ‘A-game’. To register your brew and compete, simply print out the forms attached, and bring them in to Your Blairs Ferry Road Hy-Vee Drugstore no later than Wed, July 27th at 5pm. Copies of forms will be available at the Wine and Spirits counter as well. Spots will fill up fast, so first come, first served. A $20 non-refundable registration fee will be applied, and will translate into prize money at the competition!

brownbeard · Post by **brownbeard** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:10 pm

I don't think contestants have to pay to attend the tasting. But yeah, this is more of a tasting than a competition. I may enter, just to support the store.

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:27 pm

I think I didn't interpret the message correctly the first time. Looks like you may just need to get the entry form in by July 27th and you bring the beer later. That was my biggest issue. I think the $20 is to add a level of commitment by the brewer and provide some prize money which is fun. I retract my harsh statements and will not enter any pee. Except maybe a really hoppy IPA that Mr. Burns would consider cat pee. If someone talks to Wayne, see when the beer needs to be delivered. I understand they don't want to sell a bunch of ticket and not have people bring them the promised beer. Good luck to all you Nuts out there.

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:36 pm

Wow, check out the judging criteria. Pretty of the wall in many ways and will nearly impossible to judge objectively.

It looks to me like you bring the beer the day of the event. It says registration/checks will be due on 7/27 but nothing about turning in entries. It also says you can bring a keg with at least a gallon in place of bottles. If you bring bottles though it sounds like 12 of the case will go as prizes! How cheap, using free beer as prizes!

Still, this one sounds really idiotic. Way more of a publicity stunt than anything meaningful.

brownbeard · Post by **brownbeard** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:40 pm

carrisr wrote:Still, this one sounds really idiotic. Way more of a publicity stunt than anything meaningful.

The same could be said of the festival of Iowa beers.

tony b · Post by **tony b** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:50 pm

Sorry, but as much as we might not like some of crap with IA Fest, these 2 are totally different events. At least some of the money at IA Fest goes to charity. Plus, it's really all about celebrating IA brewed beers, nothing more/less. No formal competition (other than kicking Craze's butt!), no medals/trophies/speeches or fanfane.

Wayne had told me the preliminaries about this event and I was intrieged, but now that I see the details, can't say that I'm that interested, especially since I'll probably be to have any beer left by then with all the late Aug/early Sept stuff we're doing.

We could just have a bunch of our club members show up in club gear and stand outside handing out flyers about out next meeting and dare the contestants to show up!

JimF · Post by **JimF** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:55 pm

tony b wrote:
We could just have a bunch of our club members show up in club gear and stand outside handing out flyers about out next meeting and dare the contestants to show up!

Tony's gonna get medieval on them!

tompb · Post by **tompb** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:34 pm

Agreed Tony. IFOB is just a fest. Whether or not you like the way it's run it is the best Iowa has to offer. On the other hand, a "beer competition" with a bunch of BMC swilling public is not necessarily a good bar to rank your beer against. Based on the festivals that we have served at I would make a big beer that I poured late because "that's the best f&!#$*g beer I've every had man!"(based on the drunk dude trying to get drunker.)

Also, I'm not really sure if a cash prize is even legal for a home brew competition. I would think that would cross the line of a monetary compensation for a non regulated beer.

Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 11:28 pm

It sounds like its about time to start thinking about our own judging event.

What happened to us collaborating with Hy-vee, assuming this is hy-vee related. I'm a little confused who is all involved, but it seemed and for good reason they wanted some consultants to help make this a fair and well received event. Good for them for promoting craft beer, but I agree this looks to be a a contest made difficult to participant in, and more of a tasting event.

In regards to the Iowa fest, I would debate one could say its the best IA has to offer, but it certainly draws some good brewers, and for the most part its close to home for us, so those outweigh some of the less than popular conduct and rules imposed by the event.

It would be a great idea for these events to send out a quick survey after the event to get some constructive feedback they could use to improve the events... but I know.. that is all too well thought out.

From: tompb [mailto:brew-events@crbeernuts.org]
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 7:34 PM
To: brew-events@crbeernuts.org
Subject: Re: Hy-Vee Homebrew Contest

Agreed Tony. IFOB is just a fest. Whether or not you like the way it's run it is the best Iowa has to offer. On the other hand, a "beer competition" with a bunch of BMC swilling public is not necessarily a good bar to rank your beer against. Based on the festivals that we have served at I would make a big beer that I poured late because "that's the best f&!#$*g beer I've every had man!"(based on the drunk dude trying to get drunker.)

Also, I'm not really sure if a cash prize is even legal for a home brew competition. I would think that would cross the line of a monetary compensation for a non regulated beer.

Runamok Brewing

Jesus must have been a yeast. Who else could turn water into wine?

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brownbeard · Post by **brownbeard** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:31 am

I think we should move this to the members only forum.

Post by **JimPotts** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 8:56 am

brownbeard wrote:I think we should move this to the members only forum.

Agreed, and done.

Gjoseph · Post by **Gjoseph** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:02 pm

Sounds more like a Chili contest. Except you can actually use beans if you wanted too...
----- Original Message -----
From: "brownbeard" <brew-events@crbeernuts.org>
To: brew-events@crbeernuts.org
Sent: Thursday, July 7, 2011 8:31:39 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: Re: Hy-Vee Homebrew Contest

I think we should move this to the members only forum.

You can't get with this with a bad hip - Matt

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tony b · Post by **tony b** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 3:05 pm

OUCH, dude! OK, OK next year, I won't dis on the entries with beans in the Beer Nuts chili cookoff!

Yes, just like beer comps, chili competitions come in 2 flavors - serious, sanctioned, judged events (CASI, International Chili Society) and there are fun events that may have some "judges" and a people's choice type award, like the charity event the Parrotheads through down at the Chrome Horse. Both have their place, but never confuse the two, as you will be seriously disappointed either way.

Same goes for BBQ events - don't ever confuse the Cedar Rapids BBQ Round-up with Memphis in May!

With that said, the BBQ throwdown at the July meeting at my house will be a "fun" type of event. Just so folks know. Doesn't mean you don't bring your A game, but all entries will be accepted - with sauce - be it vinegar, ketchup, or mustard based, or no sauce at all. While most of the entries will be pulled PORK, if you want to get "outside the box" and bring chicken, beef, ostrich, emu, buffalo, venison, goat, lamb, alligator, or any other critter - GO FOR IT!